What Hurts The Most
by TouketsuSafaia
Summary: This isn't a Mary-Sue story. It's a story of a young ninja, shes in love with her best friend, he leaves for his own selfish reasons, she doesn't stop him. It's about her best friends cousin, who is in love with the girl, its about the boy from another village, who is also in love with the girl. But who will she end up with in the end? I guess we'll find out, wont we?
1. Meet Aika

She sat in her room that night, watching as he left through those gates. He would never be back, she knew that much. Slamming her fist against the window before looking away. He was gone, without a look backwards. His gaze was fixed forward, on what he wanted, the selfish asshole. That was always what she thought to herself. Her eye was caught by the picture of the two of them, it had been a secret between them, they're first kiss, it had been an accident while training, before the naruto kiss. She smiled sadly before picking up the picture and hurtling it across the room, the glass breaking, shattering on the floor by her door. Tears slipped out of her eyes, trailing down her face which she wiped away angrily.

It had been years since he had left, six in fact. Naruto was still chasing after him to bring him home, Sakura still crying about it. Most of everyone else had moved on. She herself had tried to move on, she did alright most days. Today was not one of them, she sat by her window, rain pounding against the window as it rained, it made her think of him, the selfish one. Tears streaked down her face, this time she just let them fall, she wasn't afraid to let them go anymore. She swept her black hair out of her face, her hand wiping the tears as they stopped, her blue eyes bright against her pale skin. She glanced outside seeing Hinata making her way to the house through the rain. She smiled getting up, she went to the door holding it open and rushing out with a smile. Hinata had a knowing look on her face, but said nothing as the girl came in with bags of stuff.

" What's all of this?" Aika asks curiously.

" Well your birthday is tonight. We're taking you out." Hinata says with a smile.

" We're?" Aika asks confused.

" Me and Naruto, out to dinner, then back here for some presents from everyone." Hinata says with a sheepish look.

" You guys knew you didn't have to do anything for me." Aika says hugging her best friend.

" Naruto and I know the promise you and Sasuke made that one night of the mission, that he would always be by your side.. and yet.. he's not here any longer it hurts you, and on this day it does the most." Hinata says while handing over a bag.

" What's this?" Aika asks confused.

" Go shower and get dressed in that alright? Its an early present for you mission tomorrow, We want to see you in it tonight." Hinata says with a smile.

"Alright I'll go change." Aika says taking the bag.

She made her way up to her room, locking the door before showering, after her shower she dried pulling out her new clothes, breathtaking was what she saw. A gorgeous light blue fighting kimono, outlined in black with silver accents. She pulled it on before noticing the black lower face mask, which also changed into a hood to cover her hair. She giggled.

" Kakashi."

She pulled on her black ninja shoes and pulled her hair up, braiding it and leaving it down, out of her way, she noticed she would need a haircut soon, her hair was all the way to her rear end braided like it was. She fingered her long hair for a few minutes, remembering one day they had been laying in the grass, he had complained after training with her, that her long hair got in the way. Right then she had cut it off agreeing, she had kept it long for her mother, who had finally given into her cutting it. After it had been cut he sat up fingering the long stands on the grass, before looking at her, he then told her he liked it when it was long. She pulled out of her memory and made her way out, she went down stairs to find Hinata and Naruto decorating the place with smiles.

" Hey." She says with a laugh.

" Aika! You look great! Hinata was right! That color really stands out on you." Naruto exclaims happily.

" Thank you both. It's amazing." Aika says with a smile.

" Sorry about the decorations, the others want to stop by with gifts, they want to drop them off while we're at dinner." Hinata says with a giggle.

" It's alright. You two done here?" She asks happily.

" Yep!" Naruto says while grabbing Hinata's hand in his.

They had been dating for two years out of the six that he had been gone, Aika looked away as their fingers laced together. She walked out first, leaving her door unlocked, the couple lead the way under an umbrella, she held her own as she noticed Naruto had his arm over Hinata's shoulder, holding her close while he also held the umbrella over them. How sweet. They had a nice dinner, no ramen, but sushi for once, not that she minded ramen, but something else was great once in a while. After dinner, they separated, Aika made her way home on her own. After opening the door she seen her table filled with present's she smiled taking them arm-full by arm-full to the living room. She sat down opening them slowly. Ino had given her some hand made hair chopsticks, all kinds of colors and a beautiful bouquet of flowers. She noticed a weird box with holes in it, she carefully opened it before seeing a small tiger, a white baby tiger laying in the box asleep. A tag on it shown it had been from Kiba and his family, a gift to keep her from being lonely. She took her out, the tiger woke slightly before mewing and curling up on her lap. She'd have to see Kiba and his family tomorrow to thank them in person. Choji left a note saying their were some cupcakes in the fridge, knowing how she wasn't a fan of cake. Shikamaru had bought her a couple of books she had mentioned to him that she had read but couldn't find anymore. Shino had drawn a beautiful picture, it was of her with gorgeous butterfly wings, they were torn and ripped up, showing she couldn't fly. It was so sad, but the smile on the drawing of her was showing that she would heal and when she did she would fly again. Tenten had brought over some new kunai, along with various other weapons. Thanks to Tenten she would be one of the best ANBU Hunters with the most weapons. Lee had gotten her a rose bush, he took the tag off so she couldn't see what kind of rose's they were, tomorrow she would plant them. The last thing was an envelop, she opened it and started to read.

_ Aika,_  
_ I know things these past couple of years haven't been good for you and we all know how much your hurting. I'll be the only one to just come out and say this to you. He won't come back. Not for you. Not for Sakura. Not for Naruto. He's gone. I understand this is harsh, I do, but seeing you waste away like this kills me. See the thing is, I like you, a lot. I have since the Chunnin exams, but you were always with Sasuke, I had seen you around town before that but never thought about it. When you fought though, amazing grace and agility, the moves you did would be impossible for most people including us ninja. You set the bar up pretty high for guys you like. Kiba was rejected, Kotetsu, Izumo, various other guy's from other villages. I don't expect to be any different, but I needed to tell you at least, don't treat me any different and I don't need you to mention it to me. I feel better having you just know my feelings, I'll be here, as will everyone else for you on hard days like this._  
_ Neji_

She rubbed the tears from the corner of her eyes, he was right, He would never come back. Sasuke would never return and she should give up on that thought. She set Neji's letter on the table before carrying the baby white tiger, who she had named Toraneko, upstairs to her room. She laid down with her on the bed, they fell asleep, her little head curled and tucked under Aika's chin.

" I... give up..." She mumbled closing her eyes.


	2. Neji

He sat in his room late that night, his head in his hands, his eyes closed. In his mind he remembered every word he had written on that letter to Aika. Why had he been so stupid? She was obviously madly in love with Sasuke, he would mean nothing to her, nothing at all. He was the one who had noticed it, and he still did. How she would sit in her window while it was raining. The rain warped her image, but he could tell she was always crying, it started to bother him. He soon found himself spending hours across from her window late at night to see if she would cry again or not. He soon found the pattern to when she was the most upset, when she would let all of that out, was of course on the day's it rained. He mentioned it to his cousin, Hinata. Her best friend. Only then did she also start to notice the well of deep sadness under her smiles. He pulled his head off from his hand before changing out of his normal clothes, he laid down after turning off his light, what the day would bring no one would know. Before he knew it, it was morning outside, another gloomy day, but it wasn't raining right away. He got out of bed dressing and heading out for some training, he went out of his way to go by her house. He seen her outside, little white tiger cub running around the yard while she planted a rose bush. He smiled, the gifts seemed to bring her more alive, she turned as if sensing him looking at her. She smiled and waved at him, she got up, looking as if to make her way over to him. He turned and walked away, he didn't need her to tell him that she didn't like him, he knew it already. He went on with his training, after he was finished it started to downpour, the rain was cold, freezing him to the bone as his long brown hair and clothes stuck to him. As he turned around, she stood there under her umbrella, her cub in her arms chewing on a chew toy, he tensed up, his fist clenching.  
" Neji... Let me talk with you.." Was all she said.  
She walked over, he had no wheres else to go, he looked away from her, out into the forest around them, why was she here?  
" I read your letter... thank you for being worried about me, and I thank you for telling me how you feel. I'm not here to reject you, but I'm also not here to accept your feelings. I'm here to let you know that I won't be able to except them right now... I'm... I don't know how to explain it..." She trailed off.  
" Your broken... I know... I understand." He says with a stiff nod.  
" ...Yes.. that would be the right word.. broken..." She sounded sad.  
He chanced a look over to her, she had tears leaking out from her eyes, she smiled still, that sad smile that made his heart break.  
" I'm sorry... I don't even know why I'm crying right now.. I just wanted to thank you, your letter means a lot to me... That's all I wanted to say.." She says before wiping her tears and turning away.  
Something inside him screamed out to go after her, but his body stayed to the spot, he couldn't run after her, that smile replayed over and over, after she had left he realized he could still run after her. He took a step forward only to stop again, he turned the other way and headed the short way back to the compound, where he went straight to his room.


End file.
